Tool cabinet



B. B. WILLIS TOOL. CABINET Aug. 12, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 1, 1949 a/ 0 7 d 9 0 7 5 x INVENTOR ATTORNEY B. B. WILLIS TOOL CABINET Aug. 12, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 1, 1949 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

' I I 2, 606,805.- T e 7 root CABINET Bertha B. Willis, Miami, Fla. Application December 1, 1949, Serial Noliso szo 1 This invention relates to boxes, or cabinets adapted to be mounted on trucks and to receive tools for performing work on energized high voltage electric lines or the like. Such tools are usually from 1% inches to 3 and 4 inches in diameter and from 12 to lifeet long and are protected by an insulation material. It is very essential to keep such tools dry for use and to protect them against being scarred and scratched in order to keep moisture out of the tools.

Heretofore, such tools were carried in a haz ardous manner on trucks without any protection and provision for safe keeping; They took up valuable space adapted to be used for transporting necessary additional materials.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a box adapted to receive hot line tools or the like and to be mounted outwardly on a-body of a truck of the kind commonly used for wcrk on electric lines.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box of the character indicated above and equipped with a rack adapted to support tools forperforming work on energized highvoltage lines forstorage and during the time of "transportation to and from the place on which the tools are used. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide a box of the character indicated above and of such dimensions that it does not extend be yond the maximum width lines of the truck to the side-of which a is secured; I

A still further object of the invention is to provide a box of the character indicated 'above the rack of which is padded in order to prevent scarring and scratching of the tools reshing on said rack. I a

An additional object of the invention is to provide a box of the character indicated above and equipped with a heating device to maintain a desired temperature in the box so that the tools are kept dry, when not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box of the character indicated above the outer longitudinal wall of which is hingedly secured at its lower margin to the bottom of the box to form a door on the inner surface of which a plurality of racks are arranged to receive tools for performing Work on energized high voltage lines, commonly called hot line tools.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box of the character indicated above the outer side wall of which is hollow and comprises an outside longitudinal plate and an inside longitudinal plate, the latter being hingedly secured 1 Claim; (01. 312-360) at its u-p'penmargin to the top of the hollow outer side wall of the box and the outside longitudinal plate being hingedly secured at-its lower margin to the bottom of the box.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a boxof the character indicated above the outside and the inside longitudinal-"plates of the hollow outer side wall of which are provided with cooperating rack portions holding hot line tools securely in position while the hol low" outer side wall is in closed position oris pivoted into or out of open position. Pi

The invention consists in the details of construction-and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved boxes, whereb certain advantages are attained, as will be'hereinafter more fully set forth. f

In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. wherein: Figure 1 is a partial sideview in elevation of a truck equipped with a box in accordance withithe invention; I

' Figure 2 is a view in section of Figure 1;

" Figure 3 is a partial side view of the rearfend portion of a box in accordance with the invention in elevation the outer side wall of the box forming a door being partly broken away to show a portion of the inner side wall of the box;

Figure; is a fragmentary view in vertical cross section of a modified form of the box in accordance with the present invention the door of said box being shown in open position;

Figureb is a view in section taken on lines 5 5 of Figures 1 and 2; i

'Figure 6 isla view in vertical cross section of another modified form of the box in accordance taken online 25-2 with the invention, the box being shown as mounted on a irag'mentarily shown truck body;

Figure 7is a view in section of the lower end portion of the modified form of' the box shown in Figure 6, in open position.

The side of a standard body B of a truck'come monly used in maintenance and other work on utilities type of" construction are usually provided with an inward oiiset'forming a ledge L, on which a box I0 rests. There can be provided a box on both lateral ledges L or only on one side, but if only one box I0 is used it is'preferably disposed on the right hand side of the truck as shown in Figure 2 because the box I0 is then out of line of traflic.

I The box l0 comprises an inner side wall H, a

top l2 and a bottom [3. The bottom l3 rests on the ledge L and the inner side wall it leans against the upper portion [4 of the side wall of the truck body B. The inner side wall I l is provided with a plurality of holes 15 through which bolts [6 extend engaging the side wall portion I4 of the truck body to secure the box in position. The top 12 of the box I inclines downwardly and outwardly from the inner side wall H so that any-rain water orthe like will be drained from said top.

On the inner side wall H a plurality of transversely concave racks l! are secured in any preferred suitable manner so that they extend longitudinally of said inner side wall and are disposed in suitable distances above each other.

The box ID has also a front endwall I8. and a rear end wall l9 and an outer side wall is 39 are formed of the same diameter as the hinge members 31 and spaced from each other and of such length that the hinge members 31 fit snug- 1y between the hinge members 39 and vice versa. A hinge pin 40 extends through the hinge members 31 and 39 and secures the plate 38 hingedly on the bottom 33 of the box 3!. The width of the plate 38 is such that said plate fits snugly under the top 34 of the box 31 a spring latch 4| orthe like islsecured tothe top 34 approximatelycentrally of itslength and on the outer marginal portion thereof. Said latch engages the plate 38 and holds it releasably in closed position. To facilitate the manipulation of the plate 38 when opening or closing it a handle 42 is secured to said plate adjacent to each upper corner of ,said plate.

pivotally fastened between the front endwall l8 and the rear end wall l9 by hinge pins 2| extending through the frontand rear end walls adjacent'to the upper front corners thereof and pivotally engaging the end edges of the outer side wall 20 adjacent to the-upper corners there- Apair of handles 22 are securedto the outer side wall 29 at suitable places to facilitate the manipulation of said outer side wall 20, which serves as a door and permits access to the interiorof the box [0 and to the racks H supporting tools- 23, when it is pivoted upwardly as indicated in broken line'sin Figure 2. r

To support the outer side wall 20 in open position but permit closing thereof a lever 24 is pivotally secured at'one of its ends to the end wall l8 of the box H1 asat 25 and is pivotally connected at its other end'with one end portion of another lever 26- as at Z'L'the other end portionof which is pivotally secured tothe outer side wall as at 28 between the upper and lower edges of said side wall and preferably below the longitudinal center line thereof.

In the above described box [0 hot line tools 23 can be safely stored during transportation and I when not in use, but can be selectively removed,

whenever needed.

To prevent damage of such tools 23 the racks I! are provided with padding 29.

A housing 30 is disposed inside the box 19 at a suitable place to receive a thermostatically controlled heating device (not shown) for keeping the temperature in the box [0 at a desired degree for drying the tools 23 on the racks i1.

On the left side of Figure 2 and in Figures 4 and 5 a modified form of a box in accordance with the invention is illustrated. This box 3| comprises an inner side wall 32, a bottom 33 and a top 34. The bottom 33 rests on the ledge L and the inner side wall 32 leans against the upper portion I4 of the side wall of the truck body B. The inner side wall 32 is fastened on the upper-side wall portion I4 by, means of a plurality of bolts 35 or the like. The box. 3| comprises further two end walls 36' extending outwardly at right angles from the inner side wall 32. The top 34 inclines outwardly and downwardly from the upper edge of the inner side wall 32 similar to the top l2 of the box In.

On the outer marginal portion of the bottom 33 a'plurality of coaxial tubular hinge members 3'! are formed approximately equidistantly spaced from each other and of approximately equal length. An outer'side wall is formed by a plate 38 on the lower marginal portion of which a plurality ofj-coaxial tubular hinge members A plurality of racks 43 are secured to the inner side wall 32 by means of rivets 44 or the like, so that said racks, which have a concave cross section, are disposed longitudinally of the plate 38 and approximatelyequidistantly above each other. The racks 43 are adapted to receive and securely'support hot line tools 45. In order to prevent any damage to said tools by scratching or scarring caused by loading and unloading'the racks, the latter are provided with a padding 46.

On the inside surface of the plate 38 a p1urality of clamp plates 41 are secured in any suitable manner so that they extend inwardly from said plate at rightangles and are disposed approximately equidistantly above each other. The surfaces of the clamping plates 41 facing each other are provided with resilient paddings 48 made from any suitable material such as rubber or the like, and the distance between paddings facing each other is-such that a tool can be forced between said paddings, which engage the tool and hold it securely against accidental removal even when the outer wall plate 38 is pivoted into open position as shown in Figure 4. I a

In Figures 6 and 7 another modified form of. a box in accordance with the invention is shown. This modified box 49 comprises an outer side wall 50, two end walls 5], a top 52 and abottom 53, which rests on the ledge L of the side wall of -the truck body B. The inner side wall is secured to the upper portion M of the truck body side wall by a plurality of bolts 54.

A plurality of racks 55 having a concave cross section aresecured in any suitable manner on the inner side wall 50 longitudinally thereof and approximately equidistantly above each other. Each rack 55'is provided with a padding 55 and said racks are adapted to receive and securely support hot line tools 51, the paddings preventing any scratching or scarring of said tools.

The outer open side of the box 49 is closed by a door D comprising an outer plate 58 and a top plate 59 formed or secured to the outer plate 58 adjacent and parallel to the upper edge thereof. -An inner plate 60 is hingedly secured to the free edge portion of the top plate 59 as shown at 6| A clamp bolt 62 through each of the corners of the outer plate 58 and the inner plate 60 adjacent to the lower edges of said plates and a nut 63 on said bolt urges them toward each other. Each bolt 62 has fiat bar like head 64 which pivotally connected with an upright lug 65 provides on the bottom adjacent to each outer corner thereof. The pivot pins 36 connecting the bolts 62 with the lugs 65 are disposed coaxially. with each other to permit the door D to be swung downwardly into open position as indicated in broken lines in Figure 6. A stop lug 61 is provided on the outersurface of the outer plate 58 of the door D adjacent to each upper corner of said plate.

Attention is called to the fact that the terms outer, inner, upper, lower and the like as used with respect to parts or portions of the door D refer to such parts in connection with said door in closed position.

A latch 68 is provided on the under side of the outer marginal portion of the top 52 and is adapted to engage the outer plate 58 and hold the door in closed position. A' stop 69 extends downwardly from the top 52 and engages the uppermost portion of the outer plate 58 extending beyond the top 59 of the door to prevent it from swinging too far inwardly. A handle H is secured to the outer surface of the outer door plate 58 adjacent to each of its upper corners to facilitate the manipulation of the door.

A plurality of racks 12, similar to the racks 55 are secured to the outer surface of the inner plate 50 of the door D so that they are disposed longitudinally of said plate and approximately equidistantly above each other. The racks 12 are provided with paddings 13. On the inner surface of the outer door plate 58 a plurality of transversely concave racks 14 are secured. The number of racks 14 is equal to the number of racks l2 and said racks are disposed so that each pair of concave racks I2 and I4 will have a common center line when the inner door plate 60 is arranged parallel to the outer door plate 58 as shown in Figure 6. Each rack 14 is padded as at 15 and is adapted to receive and hold a tool 16 when the door D is opened, the nuts 63 are removed from the bolts 62 and the inner door plate 60 is swung downwardly as shown in Figure 7. When the tools are arranged on the racks H, the plate 60 is swung upwardly, the bolts 62 are secured in place by the nuts 63 and the door D is closed. During and after the pivotal movement of the door D the cooperating racks i2 and 14 hold the tools it safely in position.

6 I claim: In a tool cabinet, a casing having top, side, back and bottom walls and an open front, a hollow door normally closing the said open front and comprising a vertical inner wall and a vertical outer wall spaced from said inner wall, a flange inturned from the top end of the said outer wall, a hinge connecting said flange with the top edge of said inner wall, an elongated latch element hingedly mounted at one end on the said bottom wall outwardly of the said outer wall, and passing through the latter wall and the said inner wall, a winged nut threaded on the other end of said latch element, a plurality of horizontally spaced pairs of arcuate tool supports mounted in vertically spaced relation on the outer side of the said inner wall, and a like number of horizontally spaced pairsof inverted arcuate tool clamp elements mounted on the inner side of the said outer wall for cooperation with the first named supports to retain the tools therebetween when the door is normally disposed and during the transportation of the cabinet from one place of work performance to another, said door being swingable as a unit outwardly and downwardly on the hinge mounting of the latch element to expose the interior of the casing, said inner wall being swingable outwardly and downwardly on the first named hinge connection upon the removal of the winged nut from the latch element to expose the tools which are now supported on the reversed clamp elements.

B. B. WILLIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 45,140 Abbath Jan. 13, 1913 929,519 Trie July 27, 1909 1,342,517 Tyson June 8, 1920 1,365,960 Abbett Jan. 18, 1921 2,196,818 Stanton Apr. 9, 1940 2,248,170 Hansen July 8, 1941 

